Someday, Eventually, Always
by Tadpole24
Summary: Castle/Bones crossover for the lovely brookemopolitan. Distance was the way to calm anger in one and to inspire a new life in another. Set a month after both finales.


**Brookemopolitan, this is over a week late, but I didn't want to deliver something that was sub-par for the lady who is the superhero to my sidekick :) Happy birthday, honey! Bring on the wine time for next birthday :) xx**

**I was asked to do a Castle/Bones crossover and about a hundred different scenarios ran through my head. But due to my complete inability to write out of canon, this little fic came to be. Set about a month after the finales of both the shows, it's a bit of a crossover from a distance; I hope it makes sense and I really hope you enjoy it. **

**Thank you to eitoph for being all kinds of wonderful and for helping me! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones or Castle. Does it make me greedy for coveting both, though?**

..:::..

_Someday, Eventually, Always_

..:::..

It's amazing how much someone can affect your life from a distance. A simple touch, a hand held, oh they help too. But sometimes a glance from an outsider can give you back something you were sure you had lost. Sometimes the distance gives you perspective; it makes you see your situation from a different point.

Sometimes that distance can give you everything that you need.

..:::..

If she's completely honest with herself, she thought she would have caved and been back at the precinct by now. The old Kate Beckett wouldn't have thought twice about it. Her quitting could have been put down to a momentary lapse of judgement, a brief moment of insanity brought on by shock. She had just almost fallen to her death, after all. And of course, there's the ever present thought in her mind of her mother's case and her career as a cop; could she really let it all go?

The sun rises hot against her skin over the New York skyline. She looks over her shoulder at the man still asleep in his bed and smiles.

She has enjoyed the past month of late morning sleep-ins and impromptu weekend getaways. She's enjoyed brunch with Martha and learning the art of laser tag with Alexis. And more than anything, she has enjoyed Richard Castle and everything that he has given to her.

She had often wondered how Castle was able to remain in this state of childlike wonder through all the years they had worked together. Through all the corpses and the conspiracies, his eyes would still light up like a child's at Christmas when she accepted his coffee in the morning, or when his brain was buzzing with a new, if somewhat outlandish, theory.

Now she knows his secret.

His life is _fun_. It's interesting in a way completely the opposite of murder and mystery. When his friends talk of death, it is in relation to killing off a character in their books. It's _easy_; it's exactly what she needs after so many years of _difficult_.

He stirs as she sits on the edge of his bed – she can't remember the last time she actually slept at her own place; maybe she should be calling it _their_ bed.

His arms come up to shield his eyes, "Why do you keep doing this to me? S'too early."

Beckett smiles, "Bad habit, I guess." She throws a pillow at his head, "Plus I made coffee."

He throws the pillow back, opening his eyes against the blinding morning sun, "You _made_ coffee? Is that really worth getting up for?"

She grins as she bounces off the bed again, heading out of the bedroom, hips swaying teasingly as she throws a wink over her shoulder. Yeah, this part she enjoys, "Maybe I bought it. You'll have to catch me to find out."

But still, in the back on her mind, a battle continues. What is she going to do with her life?

..:::..

Seeley Booth has never really been a morning person. Early cases have made him accustomed to the hours before 6am, but he has never _liked_ it. And more than that, the past month has been the worst. He hasn't slept a whole night, the dark and the light blurring together, his heart aching constantly.

The anger boiling within him stays pretty close to the surface, along with despair and a small amount of hope. He's tried to keep his emotions in check, he knows his partner is safe and that this was her decision, but somewhere, Pelant has won another round of his sick little game and it makes him want to hurt people.

He unclenches his fists from around the sheets of the bed.

The hope keeps him honest though. He knows his temper and what he would do to Pelant if the hope didn't linger.

He has to wonder what fate is now. Was it his destiny to be this miserable? Was it fate's hands that guided him so readily to the love of his life, only to take her away again?

No. He needs the hope that she's alright to get him through. He needs to hold onto _something._

He groans as he rolls out of bed, the sun hitting his face like a blindside punch. There has got to be some way he can get out of tonight. Got to be somebody else that can stand in his place.

Even as he thinks it, he knows it's useless.

He stands up, shaky on his feet, and walks to the window, Los Angeles lighting up before him as daylight finally breaks.

..:::..

"I have a surprise for you."

Kate raises her eyebrows over her mug. "If this is another Nikki Heat scene based on our sex life, you can kiss your pancakes goodbye," she threatens, holding her hand out to the pan on the stove top, flicking the bin lid open with her foot.

He's quick to save himself, "Uh-uh, I learned my lesson last time. Those scenes are locked away in a separate folder just for our perusal."

She smiles, "Well in that case," she steps away from the bin, expertly flipping the pancake in the air, "What's my surprise?"

He loves this about her. He loves that he's allowed to surprise her and that she lets him.

"We're flying somewhere." He pauses, then adds, "Today."

She plates up the pancakes and comes to sit at the breakfast bar with him, "That's it? That's all I get for hints?"

The words are out of his mouth before he has a chance to censor them, "You're a detective; you'll guess if I give you anything more."

She tilts her head; she guesses it was going to come up at some point, "I _was_ a detective."

Well, if she's going there, he can too, "And what do you want to be now?" He's not stupid. He's seen the longing looks she's cast at the precinct whenever they drive past it. He knows that she misses her badge and gun; he can see it whenever she wakes up from a nightmare, clutching the darkness for the protection she can't find. He knows that she's happy with him, he knows that she's still finding her feet, but he just wants to know what's going on in her head. He wants to be able to help.

She shrugs, her answer simple, "At the moment, I just want to be with you."

He nods, accepting her answer. When it comes to the time where she puts all the pieces of her life puzzle into place, he'll be there, but for now he is happy being blown away by how open she is to all this at the moment, "Then pack your bags. We fly at noon."

..:::..

He's more than glad that Cam is by his side, answering questions in her diplomatic way. The press conference prior to the set walk is the worst. He feels suffocated by it all. Aren't they supposed to be asking about the movie? Not inquiring into the personal aspects of their lives.

"_Is it true that Dr Brennan is a fugitive on the run from the law?"_

"_Is this all a publicity stunt to garner more awareness for the film?"_

He sits, tight lipped, while Cam tells them all what she is and isn't at liberty to discuss. "Unfortunately this information is still a part of an ongoing investigation." The crowd almost shivers with anticipation at the mention of a criminal investigation.

It sickens him.

Brennan's publicist is there; a skinny woman with a fixed glare, trying to smooth over the reputation of Temperance Brennan. Booth finds himself extremely grateful for her. The last thing they need is for the press to go wild with speculation. He finds himself grateful for the presence of a lot of people today, every single one of the people trying to make sure that his partner remains innocent in the eyes of the public.

It's that hope thing again. He's just gotta hold onto the good things.

..:::..

"I already know we're going to LA. Why can't you tell me the rest?"

Castle sighs. They're in the air, about an hour into the flight and she already knows their destination. Maybe he should tell her the rest, "Well, as much as it pains me to see you reading other author's books, I couldn't help but notice a series of Temperance Brennan novels on your shelf."

Kate nods, "I like her work." Her brow crinkles in thought, trying to remember something she thinks she heard on the news, "Isn't she…"

"On the run?" Castle supplies, "Yes! Isn't it exciting?" He has that childlike glee about him that makes her smile, "I never would have pegged Temperance for a fugitive."

Kate quirks an eyebrow, "You know her?"

He sobers at the memory, "We've met on occasion. Hyper rational and logical woman. If she's hiding I can guarantee it's for good reasons."

Kate reaches out to hold his hand. Not sure what she can offer him but to get him excited again, she asks, "So what are we doing flying to LA? You haven't found her have you?"

He shakes his head, smiling again. He appreciates what she's doing, "I've got us onto the set of her upcoming movie. They ran a competition for a group of people to see a lab scene being filmed tonight."

Kate grins, "You entered a competition?"

He chuckles, "No. When I saw that you liked her, I got in touch with a few of my buddies in the film making industry. They got us on set."

She squeezes his fingers, "That really is a great surprise."

..:::..

After what feels like hours, Cam is nudging him to his feet, directing him down a series of narrow hallways to the stages where Bone of Contention is being filmed.

It feels so wrong, so fake, being here. He's spent tireless hours trying to find the missing link in the Pelant case that any time away from it makes him feel guilty. He misses his partner, he misses his daughter. None of this is fair on any of them and he wants it so badly to just go back to how it was before Pelant was ever a part of their lives. He runs a hand across his forehead, trying to clear his thoughts.

Just one more day out here in La-La Land and then he can head back to DC, back to his private office that he's set up at his house, back to bringing his family home.

He doesn't know anymore whether it's the extreme fatigue or the emotions of it all that keep bringing him to tears, but as he watches the fans move into the set, he finds himself rubbing at his eyes until Cam subtly hands him a tissue.

"Keep it together big man. Just a few more hours."

He nods, trying to stop the tears in his eyes from welling over. He's stronger than this.

Cam speaks softly, her pain for her friend evident in her words, "We all miss her. But Angela's running Pelant's programs as we speak, so we'll have something useful to go home to after this."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know."

The crowd fills the seating easily, leaving a few people standing at the back. Booth notices a man he's seen in the public eye on numerous occasions; Richard Castle.

He's not sure why, but it comforts him that the author is here. He knows that Bones and Castle are friends and maybe that's why it makes it feel a little better. Someone familiar is here; someone who knows that his partner is innocent, someone who he can connect with, even on some distant level.

With a renewed sense of hope, his anger fading a little, he watches as the crowd settles and takes the podium.

..:::..

There's no more sitting room, but she's kind of glad that she can see over the heads of everyone else. The set looks amazing and she's already anticipating watching the scene come to life.

Castle nudges her and points to a man at the front of the crowd, "That's Seeley Booth, Temperance's partner."

Kate peers at the man. She can see him talking with a woman in a grey dress; he looks upset, "It must be so hard for him."

They watch as he takes the stage, adjusting the microphone, "Hi, I'm Seeley Booth. My partner and author of the books that have inspired this movie, Temperance Brennan, can't be here today due to an ongoing investigation. But I know that she would be excited to see so many loyal fans."

His voice cracks a little as he continues his speech, and Kate's heart breaks for him. She reaches out to take Castle's hand, "He's trying so hard to keep it together."

Castle squeezes her hand, "It's gotta be difficult. I couldn't imagine…"

He doesn't have to finish his sentence. She knows what he couldn't imagine. It would be devastating for him if she had to go into hiding over a case. It would be even more devastating if she had died because of a case.

In that moment she can see the intense similarities between her partner and Seeley Booth. She can see the pain and the frustration and feel it like she's the one causing it.

As they watch Booth step down from the podium and walk with the woman in the grey dress to the side of the stage, Kate pulls her hand out of Castle's, wrapping it around his back, pulling herself into his side.

She loves him. Just the same as she knows Temperance would love Seeley. They're not that different, the four of them, and one day, maybe they could all be friends. Maybe one day she and Temperance could share stories of the cases that threatened to destroy their lives, maybe one day Seeley and Castle could share a laugh over a good scotch and remember the days when their lives were tougher, but see how far they've come since then. Maybe.

And it's the maybe that does it, because in that moment, more than anything, she wants it all to be a reality for them. She wants that life.

The nagging questions about whether she can leave her mother's case behind, the questions about what she wants to do with her life now, they're not burning so bright anymore. She's happy to let herself linger in the moment, to find peace within herself before she thinks about the rest of her life. There'll be plenty of time for the hard stuff later. At the moment, she just wants easy.

Looking at the broken man across the crowd, she is grateful for the life she has right now.

..:::..

They'll never know how they influenced each other, these four people. It was the distance in their relationship that helped them. It was a way to calm the anger in one, enough that he could see clearly again, enough that he could find his missing link. It was a way to inspire a new life in another, a way that made it clear for her that the path she has chosen isn't all wrong for her, a way to see that change is good and finding balance will come naturally.

Booth locks eyes with Kate and Rick as he leaves the set, finally able to go home; he nods briefly, shooting them a smile. The partners return that smile, two worlds colliding for a brief second.

And they all know that everything will be okay.

Someday, eventually, always.

..:::..

**Your feedback means the world to me on this one! Thank you for reading.**


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